Modesto Water Restrictions 2026
Stanislaus County · California
Published:
Restrictions Active - City of Modesto Year-Round Watering Schedule (3 days per week)
3
Days/Week
Before 9:00 AM
Allowed Hours
$50 first · $100 second · $200+ repeat
Max Fine
Find Your Watering Day
Enter the last digit of your street address:
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| Address Ending | Watering Day |
|---|---|
| Odd | Wednesday & Friday & Sunday |
| Even | Tuesday & Thursday & Saturday |
Allowed Watering Hours
No outdoor irrigation between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM. NO outdoor watering on Mondays under any circumstance. The schedule is permanent under Modesto Municipal Code, not a temporary drought response. Important distinction: this page covers City of Modesto residential water customers; if you receive irrigation water from Modesto Irrigation District (MID) for agricultural or landscape use, MID has its own separate allocation and seasonal schedule (irrigation season runs roughly mid-March through mid-October).
Still Allowed
💧 Hand Watering
Allowed with shut-off nozzle. Hours: Any day with a shut-off nozzle.
🌿 Drip Irrigation
Exempt from day-of-week limits. Must follow allowed hours.
Fines & Enforcement
$50 first · $100 second · $200+ repeat
City of Modesto Public Works Water Conservation issues a written warning on first detection, then $50, $100, and $200+ for repeat violations within 12 months. Commercial properties face up to $1,000 per occurrence. Modesto Irrigation District agricultural and landscape-irrigation customers are governed by MID's separate rules and rates – over-allocation under MID's framework results in tier-pricing surcharges, not city fines.
Citations begin Year-round watering schedule – Modesto Municipal Code🏠 HOA Rules During Restrictions
California Water Code §10631.5 and Civil Code §4735 prohibit HOA fines for drought-compliant brown lawns during a declared shortage and protect homeowners who reduce irrigation. Modesto's permanent year-round watering ordinance qualifies as the state-recognized trigger. Document the City of Modesto schedule plus the §10631.5 / §4735 citations if your HOA challenges a brown lawn.
If your homeowners association sends a violation notice for a dormant or brown lawn during the current restriction period, respond in writing citing the applicable law and include a copy of the current restriction order from Modesto Irrigation District. Most HOAs will rescind the notice once they are made aware of the legal protections in place. If the issue persists, contact your county’s code enforcement division for assistance.
Why These Restrictions Exist
Modesto has an unusual hybrid water-governance structure. The Modesto Irrigation District (MID) is one of the oldest irrigation districts in California (founded 1887) – and unusually, MID also operates as the city's electric utility. MID's primary purpose remains agricultural and landscape irrigation: it diverts water from the Tuolumne River at La Grange Diversion Dam, stores it at Don Pedro Reservoir (jointly owned with Turlock Irrigation District), and delivers it through a 200-mile canal system to Stanislaus County farms and to a smaller treated-water program serving the City of Modesto.
The City of Modesto Public Works Department operates the city's potable-water system, which draws from a blend of
- Treated Tuolumne River surface water purchased from MID (via the Modesto Regional Water Treatment Plant)
- Local groundwater from the Modesto subbasin
For most Modesto residents, your indoor and outdoor potable water comes from City of Modesto Public Works under its permanent year-round watering schedule (3 days per week, odd Wed/Fri/Sun, even Tue/Thu/Sat, 9 AM – 7 PM blackout, no Mondays). If you also receive MID irrigation water (typically a separate canal-and-pipe system serving large lot landscape, gardens, or small farms), that supply has its own MID allocation, schedule, and rate structure – separate from the city potable system.
Stanislaus County is a major agricultural county – almonds, dairy, walnuts, wine grapes – and one of the largest groundwater users in California. The Modesto subbasin is under SGMA management; long-term groundwater overdraft is the defining regional water issue. The 2026 SWP allocation cut to 30% does not directly affect Modesto's municipal supply (which is Tuolumne-based, not SWP), but the regional water-supply pinch reflects in operational decisions by both MID and the city.
Note on disambiguation: Stanislaus County, California (population roughly 555,000, county seat Modesto) is sometimes confused with Stanly County, North Carolina (population roughly 63,000, county seat Albemarle) – entirely different jurisdictions despite the similar names.
This deficit has accumulated over the current water year and represents a significant departure from historical averages for the Modesto area. Water supply reservoirs and aquifer levels are well below seasonal targets, necessitating mandatory conservation measures.
How to Keep Your Lawn Alive During Modesto Water Restrictions
11 tips tailored for Modesto homeowners during City of Modesto Year-Round Watering Schedule (3 days per week) restrictions.
Modesto's year-round schedule: 3 days per week (odd Wed/Fri/Sun, even Tue/Thu/Sat), with NO outdoor watering on Mondays.
Programme your controller for the 9 AM – 7 PM blackout – this is one of the longer mid-day blackout windows among California utilities.
Central Valley summers regularly hit 95–105°F July–September – warm-season Bermuda is the most schedule-friendly grass; tall fescue browns severely.
Modesto's clay-loam soils shed water in under 90 seconds of continuous spray – cycle-and-soak (3 min on, 20-minute pause, 3 min on) prevents runoff.
Mulch ornamental beds 3 inches deep with arborist wood chips – bare soil in Central Valley summer loses 0.5+ inches of moisture per day.
If you receive MID irrigation water for landscape (separate from City of Modesto potable), check your MID allocation and follow MID's irrigation-season schedule (roughly mid-March to mid-October).
Drip-irrigate trees, shrubs, and vegetable beds – drip is exempt from the city's day-of-week and time-of-day limits.
Install a smart controller with rain sensor – City of Modesto offers $50–$80 rebates on WaterSense-labeled units.
Skip your scheduled cycle after 0.5 inch of rainfall in the prior 48 hours; California requires rain sensors on systems installed after 1991.
City of Modesto turf-replacement rebate ($1/sq ft up to 1,000 sq ft) is the primary conversion incentive – verify current funding at modestogov.com.
Track monthly use at modestogov.com 'My Account' – Modesto's automated meter reading flags high-use accounts for code-enforcement review.
Modesto Water Restriction FAQs
What days can I water my lawn in Modesto?
What hours can I run my sprinklers in Modesto?
What are the fines for water violations in Modesto?
Can I install new sod or seed in Modesto during restrictions?
When will water restrictions end in Modesto?
Modesto Irrigation District is also my electric utility – water and power on one bill?
I'm an almond farmer or homeowner – different rules?
Stanislaus County vs Stanly County (NC) – are they related?
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